It could happen in New York City: Russia could use one of the deadliest chemical weapons ever made to murder people in the city streets if Moscow is not punished for its alleged attacks on British soil.

That’s the warning issued Wednesday by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

“If we don’t take immediate concrete measures to address this now, Salisbury will not be the last place we see chemical weapons used,” Haley told the United Nations Security Council. “They could be used here in New York, or in cities of any country that sits on this Council. This is a defining moment.”

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (defenseimagery.mil)

Haley’s comments were made during an emergency council hearing that was requested by British officials who say Russia used a “military-grade nerve agent” when it attempted to murder Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, on British soil.

The chemical weapon, known as Novichok, is extremely lethal and extraordinarily rare to find outside of Russia. Novichok, or “newcomer” in Russian, is a chemical developed by the Soviet Union in secret during the Cold War. It was created for the purpose of countering U.S. chemical weapons.

Even to this day, no nation aside from Russia is known to have developed Novichok.

In fact, the world only knows about the chemical because a disgruntled Soviet scientist and whistleblower, Vil Mirzayanov, leaked information about Novichok in the 1990s. The British government believes that it was either Russia that tried to murder Skripal or someone managed to acquire the nerve agent.

“It is difficult to imagine a scenario that doesn’t have Russian hands all over it,” chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon told CNN on Tuesday. “So, the chance that perhaps some of these Novichoks have been stolen by criminals or terrorists from Russia is a possibility, and we wait to see an explanation from the Russian Ambassador to London tomorrow, but I think highly unlikely.”

In her warning before the United Nations, Haley said: “Time and time again, member-states say they oppose the use of chemical weapons under any circumstance. Now one member stands accused of using chemical weapons on the sovereign soil of another member. The credibility of this council will not survive if we fail to hold Russia accountable.”

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May

In response to the attacks, British Prime Minister Theresa May banished 23 Russian diplomats who are believed to be spies.

May blasted Russia, accusing it of showing “contempt and defiance” after the attempted murder.

She told the House of Commons, “To those who seek to do us harm, our message is clear: You are not welcome here.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin

May ripped Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to provide an explanation.

“It was right to offer Russia the opportunity to provide an explanation,” she said. “But their response has demonstrated complete disdain for the gravity of these events. They have provided no credible explanation that could suggest they lost control of their nerve agent. No explanation as to how this agent came to be used in the United Kingdom; no explanation as to why Russia has an undeclared chemical weapons program in contravention of international law.

“Instead, they have treated the use of a military-grade nerve agent in Europe with sarcasm, contempt and defiance. There is no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable for the attempted murder of Mr Skripal and his daughter – and for threatening the lives of other British citizens in Salisbury, including Detective Sgt. Nick Bailey. This represents an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against the United Kingdom.”

Russian officials then blasted Britain’s response, saying it was “unacceptable, unjustified and shortsighted” and claiming it is a “provocation.”

The Russian embassy released the following statement: “Obviously, by investigating this incident in a unilateral, non-transparent way, the British Government is again seeking to launch a groundless anti-Russian campaign. Needless to say, our response measures will not be long in coming.”

The first explosion in East Austin on March 12, 2018, killed a 17-year-old and injured a woman who is believed to be in her 40s. That incident happened at a home located in the 4800 block of Oldfort Hill Drive. Authorities with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene (Photo: Twitter)

A teenager has been killed and two women injured after two package explosions rocked Austin, Texas, on Monday.

The two explosions come just weeks after a similar blast killed an Austin man just weeks ago. Authorities believe all three explosions are connected.

The suspect or suspects remain at large. Police have not released a description of the suspect(s) or a vehicle.

The first explosion in East Austin killed a 17-year-old at the scene and injured a woman who is believed to be in her 40s. That incident happened at a home located in the 4800 block of Oldfort Hill Drive at 6:45 a.m.

Officials say the teen found the package on the doorstep, took it inside and opened it in the kitchen, where it exploded. Authorities with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene.

The home reportedly received “significant” damage from the blast.

Police believe the package was not handled by the U.S. Postal Service or private mail carriers. It was placed on the doorstep in a manner that was similar to another blast this month.

Authorities respond to the scene of a March 2 explosion that killed a man (Photo: Twitter)

Hours after the first blast, a second package explosion went off.

Medics transported a 75-year-old woman to Dell Seton Medical Center after she retrieved an exploding package outside her home. She has serious and potentially life-threatening injuries, according to the Austin American-Statesman. A woman in her 80s is reportedly being treated for an “unrelated medical issue.”

Emergency responders were dispatched to the 6700 block of Galindo Street in Southeast Austin at 11:49 a.m. local time.

Map shows locations of first and second explosions on March 12, 2018, in Austin, Texas (Photo: Twitter)

In addition to the two reported explosions Monday, the city saw a third blast in Northeast Austin on March 2 that killed one man. All three explosions involved packages and were located within 16 miles of each other.

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said the March 2 explosion and the first one Monday appeared similar and are likely related.

Austin residents are being asked to call 9-1-1 if they receive unexpected packages on their doorsteps. As of Monday evening, police had received at least 34 “suspicious package” calls since around 8 a.m.

Neighbor Cynthia Burdett, who lives near the location of the early blast Monday, told Fox 7 she’s in “total shock” because the situation is “very scary.”

“I checked my house first of all to make sure nothing was on fire, I did look outside at that point and next thing I knew police were knocking at the door saying that there was a suspicious package, one had exploded and that I needed to leave the house,” she said.

Burdett said her neighbors who live in the home that received the explosive package are “church-going people” who are “a very good family.”

The first of the three explosions killed Anthony Stephan House, 39, in the early morning hours on March 2. The blast came from a package on House’s doorstep, which is located about 12 miles away from the location of the first blast Monday. That incident was classified as a homicide.

Anthony Stephan House died March 2 after a package exploded on the front porch of his Austin home (Photo: Austin Police Department)

Chief Manley said the first two blasts happened at the homes of African-Americans so officials “cannot rule out hate crimes.” At this time, there’s no other evidence indicating hate crimes, other than the victims’ race, he said.

Manley later added: “Assigning a motive is not possible at this stage in the investigation. We will leave no stone unturned because we will not allow this to go on in this city.”

Austin police and federal authorities are attempting to rebuild the explosive device that killed House to determine who made the device.

Manley said investigators have figured out what the first device was, but they’re withholding some details “to protect the integrity of the investigation.”

“We will not tolerate this in Austin,” Manley said.

The police chief urged citizens not to panic, but he said: “[It’s] imperative that you come forward if you know something. We have innocent people being hurt.”

The explosions took place just as Austin hosts is South by Southwest music, film and technology festival. Hundreds of thousands of visitors have traveled to the city for the event.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his office’s Criminal Justice Division are offering up to $15,000 for information leading to arrest of the suspect(s).

To collect the reward, tips must be submitted to Texas Crime Stoppers by:

A dog in Brazil waits outside the hospital where his owner died five months ago (Photo: Facebook)

His owner died five months ago after being fatally stabbed, but a loyal dog who chased the ambulance that was transporting his owner still won’t leave the hospital.

The dog, which apparently has no name, has made a home outside the Santa Case de Novo Horizonte hospital in Brazil, and he refuses to leave, according to posts on Facebook by a woman named Cristine Sardella.

He arrived at the hospital in October after his 59-year-old homeless owner was stabbed in a street fight, Brazil’s O Globo newspaper reported.

That’s when he chased the ambulance for miles until he reached the hospital.

A dog in Brazil waits outside the hospital where his owner died five months ago (Photo: Facebook)

Hospital staff provided food and water for the dog. A local kennel agreed to take him in.

But even though a new owner tried to adopt the dog, he escaped from the kennel and returned to his spot in front of the hospital.

“We have a lot to learn from animals,” Sardella wrote in her post.

“This dog stays every day at the door of the Santa Casa de novo horizonte hospital waiting for its owner who unfortunately passed away,” she wrote.

“He may be waiting in vain, but the love he feels for his owner is eternal.”

(Photo: Facebook)

There have been other reports of dogs that have waited outside hospitals for their owners.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is expanding his investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election – and now his team has sent a grand-jury subpoena seeking all communications between a former Trump aide and a so-called “hit list” of 10 members of Trump’s team, including the president himself.

Meanwhile, on Monday, President Trump ripped into former President Barack Obama, accusing him of launching an investigation into his campaign “with zero proof of wrongdoing” before the 2016 election to help “Crooked” Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House.

Trump also said the former president did nothing to stop Russian meddling during the election.

Axios.com reviewed Mueller’s subpoena sent to an unidentified witness last month. The witness appears to be former Trump aide Sam Nunberg. The site says the document seeks all communications between the witness and the following people on Mueller’s “hit list” since Nov. 1, 2015:

The subpoena seeks emails, work documents, text messages, phone logs and other records of communications exchanged between the witness and the 10 individuals.

In an interview with MSNBC, Nunberg said he’d refuse to comply with the “ridiculous” subpoena from Mueller. He said it would be “really funny” if Mueller arrested him for ignoring his subpoena and that “my lawyer is about to dump me right now.”

“What they sent me was absolutely ridiculous,” Nunberg said. “They wanted every email I had with Roger Stone and with Steve Bannon. Why should I hand them emails from Nov. 1, 2015?

“I was preparing it. Should I spend 50 hours going over all my emails with Roger and with Steve Bannon? And then they wanted emails I had with Hope Hicks, with Corey Lewandowski. Are you giving me a break? It’s ridiculous.”

He added: “They asked for communications with Carter Page. Are you giving me a break? Do you think I would ever talk to that moron?”

Nunberg said he’s “not a fan of Donald Trump,” but, he added: “Mr. Trump’s right. The president is right. It’s a witch hunt. And I’m not going to cooperate! … Donald Trump did not collude with the Russians! It’s the biggest joke to ever think Donald Trump colluded with the Russians.”

Watch the MSNBC interview with Nunberg:

Nunberg appeared on more than a dozen news shows and repeated his statements, vowing not to cooperate and daring Mueller to arrest him. However, by late Monday evening, he appeared to suggest he may, indeed, cooperate with Mueller.

The grand-jury subpoena is one of the latest moves in Mueller’s apparent effort to cast a wide investigative net aimed at Trump and former campaign officials.

On Monday, President Trump tweeted: “Why did the Obama Administration start an investigation into the Trump Campaign (with zero proof of wrongdoing) long before the Election in November? Wanted to discredit so Crooked H would win. Unprecedented. Bigger than Watergate! Plus, Obama did NOTHING about Russian meddling.”

Former FBI Director James Comey told Congress that the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the presidential election began in late July 2016, roughly 20 months ago. Trump’s campaign for president was launched on June 16, 2015. Mueller’s subpoena seeks communications dating back to the period when the campaign was only five months old.

President Trump and former FBI Director James Comey (Photo: Twitter)

Mueller and his team may be building a case alleging President Trump obstructed justice by firing Comey and attempting to protect himself and his aides during the Russia probe. For months, many news organizations have indicated Mueller has his sights on possible obstruction charges against Trump.

Former Trump adviser Roger Stone said Sunday that he believes Mueller is aiming to his President Trump with “some kind of process crime: perjury or obstruction of justice, something related to either the firing of Gen. [Michael] Flynn or the firing of FBI Director Comey.”

“Well, I think that you technically have an obstruction of justice case that already exists,” Holder said during an interview on “Real Time with Bill Maher. “I’ve known Bob Mueller for 20, 30 years. My guess is, he’s just trying to make the case as good as he possibly can.”

The headlines went wild in May 2017 when President Trump fired Comey. That same month, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel to investigate possible interference by Russia in the 2016 presidential election. The Justice Department gave Mueller an extraordinarily broad mandate to investigate “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign” and “any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation.”

As WND reported, lifelong Democrat Alan Dershowitz, a prominent Harvard Law School professor and constitutional scholar who voted for Clinton in the 2016 election, has argued that President Trump was well within his authority to fire Comey, even for no reason at all.

Under the Constitution, Dershowitz explained, the president has the power to terminate any executive branch official at will. And the FBI director is an executive branch official.

Andrew C. McCarthy

In December, former top federal prosecutor Andrew C. McCarthy told WND: “Whether you think firing Comey was a good idea or bad idea, the fact is the president has the power to terminate any officer of the executive branch at will. He doesn’t need a reason. He could wake up Tuesday morning and say, ‘Gee, I feel like firing somebody,’ and he can fire the FBI director. He has that power because the only official in the executive branch who has power is the president. Everyone else in the executive branch is a delegate of the president’s power.

“You’re not going to be able to make an obstruction case out of the fact that Trump removed Comey. And you’re not going to be able to make an obstruction case out of the fact that Trump told Comey, ‘I’d really like to see you let the case go on [former national security adviser Michael] Flynn.'”

The New York Times reported Saturday that Mueller’s investigation appears to be broadening beyond Russia to include “possible attempts by the Emiratis to buy political influence by directing money to support Mr. Trump during the presidential campaign.”

The Times reported that a Lebanese-American businessman named George Nader has been questioned by Mueller’s team and is now a focus in the investigation. Nader is said to have served as an adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. During the Clinton administration, he tried to coordinate an Israel-Syria peace deal. According to Fox News, Nader has frequently visited the White House during the Trump administration and was close to former Trump strategist Steve Bannon.

The Times reported that it has a copy of a memo acquired by Nader that discusses a private Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy, who owns a private security company that has high-dollar contracts with the United Arab Emirates.

Rap tribute released by the Utah House of Representatives on how a bill becomes law (Photo: Screenshot)

Hold onto your seat! You won’t believe the ridiculously “awful” rap tribute made by the Utah House of Representatives on how a bill becomes law.

It’s so bad, one Twitter user declared, “This should be prosecuted as a hate crime.”

Another person issued a dare: “How far can you get without placing a hand over your face? I made it eight seconds.”

Utah lawmakers released the video “with a surprise twist” Wednesday, and it’s set to the familiar tune of the theme song from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

But this new take is called the “Fresh Prints of Bills Here”:

It begins:

Nooow, this is the story all about how

Our bills get flipped into a law.

I’d like to take a minute, just sit right there,

I’ll tell you how a bill becomes law in this, our cham-bear.

The rap continues: In the lawbook is where they spend most of their days, draftin’ out, maxin’ out, hardly relaxin’ all cool …

At the end of the song, a lawmaker sticks out his tongue, and the rap concludes, Look at that bill, it’s finally there, sitting as law, ready to be declared.

While politicians in suits – both Republicans and Democrats – use bizarre and jerky hand movements to try to convince viewers that legislative process is “cool,” the Utah House of Representatives unleashed a flood of online jokes and ridicule after it tweeted the video Wednesday.

Some comments included:

“GET TO WORK!”

“I just threw up a little listening to that.”

“It’s goofy, but I bet people will learn a thing or two about how a bill gets passed.”

“I would say don’t quit your day job. But they’re politicians, so they can quit that one, too.”

“They sound as good as Kanye West.”

“I hate rap. I hate congressmen rapping even more.”

“This was awful.”

“Dear Lord, what were they thinking?”

“Holy h-ll, that was horrible.”

“This is so frightening, I’m going to quit my job.”

“What did I just watch?”

“This induced shooting pains in every part of my body.”

“No, you literally cannot fathom how terrible this is.”

“How far can you get without placing a hand over your face? I made it eight seconds.”

“This is the worst thing that has ever come into existence in all of human history, and I love every second of it.”

“My life will now be divided into before and after watching this.”

“This is a strong argument against federalism.”

“This should be prosecuted as a hate crime.”

“I’d rather listen to a toilet running.”

“And we wonder why politicians never accomplish anything …”

“Don’t these people have enough credibility problems?”

“How much was spent for this and who paid for it? Utah, we got a problem.”

Jessica Ford, 35, (left) was arrested Feb. 23, 2018, after she intentionally rammed a White House security barrier while armed with a BB gun. When officers attempted to stop her, she struck the barrier two more times. She was arrested without a shot fired. In 2013, unarmed mother Miriam Carey (right) made a wrong turn into the White House guard post, was chased by federal officers and shot to death in a hail of as many as 20 bullets

It’s a startling contrast that leaves a grieving family wanting answers: Why did federal authorities fire as many as 20 shots at an unarmed black mother with no criminal history who made a wrong turn into a White House gate – killing her in front of her toddler – and later take an armed white woman, who was a known security threat, into custody without firing a single shot?

Jessica Ford, 35, was arrested Feb. 23 after she intentionally rammed a White House security barrier with her white Chevy minivan. When Secret Service officers attempted to stop her, she reversed and struck the barrier two more times.

Authorities said she had a pistol in her hand while she was driving, though the firearm was reportedly pointed away from officers. When ordered to drop her weapon multiple times, Ford wouldn’t comply. So officers forcibly confiscated the weapon, which turned out to be a BB gun that resembled a Beretta 9 mm pistol. They pulled Ford through the driver’s side window and placed her in handcuffs – all without a single shot fired.

Jessica Ford, 35, intentionally rammed a White House security barrier with her white Chevy van. When officers attempted to stop her, she reportedly reversed and struck the barrier two more times

Jessica Ford

“Ford spontaneously told officers that she had come to the White House to visit her husband James Burris, who she asserted lived in the White House with her children,” court documents state.

The Secret Service had reason to believe Ford posed an imminent security threat. The woman has a history of criminal violations near White House grounds. In fact, she was arrested in the area three times just last year.

In April, she tried to jump over a White House security barrier. Ford was ordered to stay away from the White House after she pleaded guilty to an unlawful entry charge.

In May, Ford tried to climb the White House fence, violating the order to keep away from the president’s residence.

In July, Ford was arrested for violating the stay-away order, and she pleaded guilty to contempt of court charges. As terms of a plea agreement, the charges from the May arrest were dropped. Ford was originally sentenced to 120 days in jail, but she was given a year of supervised probation instead.

Now Ford is facing multiple charges, including unlawful entry, aggravated assault on a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon – car, destruction of government property and contempt of court. Ford appeared in court Monday and was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.

Miriam Carey, 34

But Ford is fortunate in one aspect: She’s still alive.

That’s not the case for another woman who was shot to death in 2013 following an incident at a White House guard post.

Carey – who had her 14-month-old daughter strapped into the back seat of her black Nissan Infiniti – had mistakenly driven up to a White House guard post and tried to make a U-turn so she could leave. Secret Service agents tried to stop her from leaving.

Off-duty Secret Service officer tries to block Miriam Carey from leaving White House entrance after she mistakenly turned in. (Photo provided by U.S. Attorney’s Office)

When Carey departed the post, federal officers pursued her, ultimately shooting her five times from behind in a volley of 18 bullets at the conclusion of a car chase. Carey died at the scene. Her daughter wasn’t harmed.

Video of the Garfield Circle shootings taken by news crew:

Carey’s sister, Valarie, wants to know: Why did the two cases turn out so differently?

Miriam, Valarie and Amy Carey

Carey tweeted on Feb. 23: “So this is the face of the woman who intentionally crashed a gate near the White House WITH a gun on her. My sister Miriam Carey was unarmed, no crime committed MADE A UTURN and was gunned down. #Justice4MiriamCarey.”

She also tweeted: “NO shots fired. No baby endangered. No innocent woman killed like my sister #MiriamCarey who DID NOT CRASH into any barrier, [never] committed any crime.”

“There was no regard for my sister’s life – nor the baby’s life – but there was regard for this woman,” she said. “What’s different?”

Carey continued: “There was no justification for what happened to my sister, and this is not to say that [Ford] should have been shot down. But what I am saying is, the same way that she was handled, why wasn’t my sister handled that way?”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office determined in 2014 that officers involved in the Carey shooting wouldn’t be charged. The Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. police have never revealed the identities of the officers who killed Carey. WND reached out to the U.S. Secret Service for comment on why the two cases were handled so differently but the agency hadn’t responded to requests for comment by the time of this report.

“Miriam Carey may have saved this woman’s life because it looks like authorities may have learned a lesson, because of the extraordinary lengths they went to not kill Ford, given her circumstances compared to Miriam’s,” Kant told WND. “However, this case magnifies the need for justice for Miriam Carey and her family.”

Muhammad Abdul Raheem, an officer in the Uniformed Division of the U.S. Secret Service for 11 years at the time, decided to go public and reveal his identity because he felt the killing of Carey was unjust. Raheem told WND:

“Everybody knew it was a cover-up.”

“Secret Service policy had been so obviously violated.”

“They all knew it was unlawful to pursue Carey because no felony had been committed.”

“Lying is so prevalent, they don’t even have to tell people to lie. People are so programmed, they don’t have to be told to lie. It’s done out of fear.”

Secret Service officers initially thought “someone was going to jail over it because it was such an obvious bad shooting.”

“Whoever fired the rounds that took her life unjustly, they should be charged. The superiors who tried to cover it up, or were involved, them as well.”

Some of Kant’s explosive news reports on the Carey case include the following:

A revolution is coming to America and the world, and it’s threatening workers’ livelihoods, warn big tech moguls and politicians.

It’s an automation apocalypse of sorts, some say, and the trend could plunge many of today’s workers into poverty and even homelessness in the near future.

Humans in a wide range of industries could be rendered useless or inadequate in their fields. Telemarketers, bookkeepers, receptionists, delivery workers, customer support specialists, retail salespeople, cashiers, tax preparers, sports referees, machine operators, truckers, taxi drivers, fast-food cooks and warehouse and factory workers are at exceptional risk of being replaced.

Welcome to the Artificial Intelligence revolution, where robots and cutting-edge technology could render traditional American jobs obsolete, forcing workers to adapt their roles or lose their jobs altogether.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is the ability of machines to mimic the human mind. The ultimate goal is to create robots that can think like humans. And advances in this technology are happening at breakneck speed.

So what happens if widespread automation means a significant portion of the nation’s workforce is left unemployed?

Americans will need a guaranteed source of income, say tech industry leaders, many of whom are advocating for a Universal Basic Income, or UBI, a plan to give all citizens a sum of money regardless of their employment status. The idea is quickly gaining traction across America and around the world.

AI and the ‘danger of income inequality’

English business magnate, investor and philanthropist Richard Branson

In a recent interview with CNN, billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson explained why he believes many Americans will rely on cash stipends to prevent them from becoming homeless when the AI revolution is in full force.

“I think with the coming on of AI and other things, there is certainly a danger of income inequality,” Branson explained.

That inequality, he said, will be caused by “the amount of jobs [artificial intelligence] is going to take away and so on.” Branson said “there is no question” that new technology will eliminate American jobs. He warned that “basic minimum earnings,” or UBI, should be developed “so that there is nobody that is having to sleep on the street.”

“One-hundred percent,” Branson said of UBI as a solution for this possibility. “I think that is really important.”

“For the past 20 or 30 years, work has become increasingly unreliable,” he explained. “You might be able to find a job, but it’s unlikely that it provides a reliable income, benefits, vacation days or sick leave.”

“There is a pretty good chance we end up with a universal basic income or something like that, due to automation,” Musk told CNBC in late 2016. “Yeah, I’m not sure what else one would do. I think that is what would happen.”

He cites a 2017 McKinsey study that calculates as many as 70 million American jobs will disappear by 2020 – taken over by robots and automation.

“All you need is self-driving cars to destabilize society,” the former tech executive says. “That one innovation will be enough to create riots in the street. And we’re about to do the same thing to retail workers, call center workers, fast-food workers, insurance companies, accounting firms.”

AI revolution: Will your job be replaced?

In 2018, Americans have already witnessed the transformation of industrial manufacturing with new AI technologies. Robots are slashing manufacturing costs and multiplying return on investment. They’re building cars and performing jobs that may be dangerous for human workers. Manufacturers are seeking a better educated, highly skilled workforce as robots take over basic tasks traditionally performed by lower-skilled workers.

“I really think in the future we are all going to be cyborgs,” said Shimon Whiteson, associate professor at the Informatics Institute at the University of Amsterdam. “… I think the human and the computer are really, really quickly becoming one tightly coupled cognitive unit.”

Whiteson said humans could be far more productive if they had brains with perfect memories and were able to make perfect calculations. However, he said AI tech could bring about the problem of hackers invading human brains.

Thomas Dietterich, president of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, said AI can turn average humans into superhumans.

“Future systems may work via augmented reality of by giving us sensory abilities far beyond existing vision, hearing and manipulation,” Dietterich explained. “For example, I hope that exoskeletons will allow me to walk when I am old and feeble. I hope that I can retain my sense of hearing and sight even as my eyes and ears fail.”

Oren Etzioni, CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, says “the sky is the limit” to where AI can take the world.

“All these things that we’ve contemplated, whether it’s space travel or solutions to diseases that plague us, Ebola virus, all of these things would be a lot more tractable if the machines are trying to solve these problems,” he said.

A robotic limb exhibit made by scientists with the DOD’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Photo: DARPA)

Others believe AI will help humans predict the future, transform how they connect with other humans, improve the lives of elderly people, advance medical care and expand access to the internet.

Bart Selman, a Cornell University computer scientist, acknowledged that robots will take over many jobs. But he said, “Society will have to adapt.”

“How we will adapt is not fully clear yet,” he said. “But I think it’s something we’ll have to think about.”

AI apocalypse? Not so fast!

Bill Gates

Despite all of the emerging technologies, billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates isn’t so quick to assume AI will bring an apocalyptic-type scenario to America’s workforce.

“AI can be our friend,” Gates said at Hunter College in New York City on Feb. 16.

Gates was asked, “What do you think will happen to human civilization with further development of AI technology?”

“AI is just the latest in technologies that allow us to produce a lot more goods and services with less labor,” he said. “And overwhelmingly, over the last several hundred years, that has been great for society.”

As evidence that AI has been hugely beneficial, Gates pointed to the agricultural industry.

“We used to have to go out and farm,” he said. “We barely got enough food. When the weather was bad, people would starve. Now, through better seeds, fertilizer, lots of things, most people are not farmers. And so AI will bring us immense new productivity.”

Gates said when new technologies boost productivity in some areas of the workforce, any displaced American workers can adjust to alleviate labor gaps in fields such as elder care, teaching and support for special needs children. And workers may also see shorter workdays, he said.

“This extra productivity is a very, very good thing used in an enlightened way,” Gates said. “Someday we will even get to the point where we can say, ‘Hey, people don’t have to work super long hours. They can have periods of their life [when] they don’t work as much.”

Remotely controlled bomb disposal robot, or REMOTEC F6A robot, used by U.S. Air Force to safely take suspicious packages to a safe location away from buildings and people (Photo: U.S. Air Force)

Gates has even proposed a plan where the government taxes companies that replace their human workers with AI machines. That revenue would then be used to fund job training and employment for displaced workers.

While Gates doesn’t oppose the UBI concept, he believes now isn’t the time to begin implementing it. He said he’s concerned that many countries simply can’t afford a lasting UBI program now.

“Even the U.S. isn’t rich enough to allow people not to work,” he said last year. “Some day we will be, but until then, things like Earned Income Tax Credit will help increase the demand for labor.”

Cities and countries experiment with UBI

Several nations have begun testing the UBI concept with citizens. In January 2017, Finland began giving 2,000 randomly chosen citizens $587 in tax-free income every month for two years. India has proposed UBI as a way to alleviate problems with job loss due to automation increases. In Canada, political leaders in four different parties have supported UBI.

Other UBI schemes are being tested in places such as rural Kenya, Glasgow, Barcelona. As WND recently reported, the mayor of Stockton, California, is now leading an experiment to provide low-income residents with $500 a month, no questions asked. Stockton hopes to find that the city gets more economic stimulus by giving money to its citizens rather than corporations it hopes will bring in jobs and tax revenue.

But what happens when workers no longer have to earn a living and they lose their incentive to find a job and actually work?

Former Vice President Joe Biden

This is a concern of former Vice President Joe Biden, who rejects the UBI concept.

Biden said his father taught him that working hard at a job is “about your dignity. It’s about your self-respect. It’s about your place in your community.”

“The theory is that automation will result in so many lost jobs that the only plausible answer is some type of guaranteed government check with no strings attached,” Biden wrote in a blog post on the subject. “I believe there is a better way forward. I believe we can – we must – build a future that puts work first.”

Biden said he appreciates concerns from Silicon Valley executives about what their tech innovations could do to American workers’ incomes, but he believes they’re selling American workers short.

“The future will not change the enduring American values that got us here,” he wrote. “Our children and grandchildren deserve the promise we’ve had: the skills to get ahead, the chance to earn a paycheck, and a steady job that rewards hard work.”

Can UBI really work, or is it ‘anti-work’?

The left-leaning Roosevelt Institute released a study last August that found UBI could permanently expand the U.S. economy by trillions of dollars, and it would be funded by growing the federal debt.

“They find that enacting any of these policies by growing the federal debt — that is, without raising taxes to pay for it — would substantially grow the economy,” Vox.com reported. “The effect fades away within eight years, but GDP is left permanently higher. The big, $12,000 per year per adult policy, they find, would permanently grow the economy by 12.56 to 13.10 percent — or about $2.5 trillion come 2025. It would also, they find, increase the percentage of Americans with jobs by about 2 percent, and expand the labor force to the tune of 4.5 to 4.7 million people.”

The large-scale income redistribution plan would stimulate the U.S. economy, the Roosevelt Institute researchers argue, because Americans with low incomes are far more likely to spend money in the short term than wealthy people are.

But Paul Winfree, director of the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Studies at the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, has called UBI an “anti-work” policy.

“[T] he primary problem in the labor market isn’t that economic growth hasn’t reached low-income workers, but that people aren’t working,” Winfree wrote in a 2016 article for the Daily Signal. “A basic income would not eliminate poverty – understood as a household’s ability to sustain itself above subsistence without depending on government. Nor would it necessarily increase economic opportunity.”

Under the current welfare system, low-wage working parents get financial benefits to supplement their incomes and bring them above federal poverty level. But under a UBI system, Winfree argues, increased government benefits would be given to able-bodied adults who work very little or not at all.

“Compared to the present system, such a policy would significantly increase the rewards of non-work relative to work, accelerating the trend to disengagement from labor and increasing long-term dependence and welfare costs,” Winfree warns.

“… Today, we are in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, driven by computers and other smart machines, which are again increasing the ‘size of the economic pie’ in a way that is replacing need with want, both in the U.S. and globally,” he continued. “… [A]s the relationship between work and need has broken down, there has been a real structural disengagement from work over the last 50 years. Groups of people that once participated in the economy through work are leaving the labor market.”

Winfree said statistics show a full 94 percent of men between the ages of 25 and 54 were working in 1964. Today, employment for that group of individuals has fallen to 83 percent, and labor participation for women between 25 and 54 is at its lowest in nearly 25 years.

“The policy challenge is not to find a more equitable way to distribute national income, but rather to support opportunity and a strong civil society through work,” he wrote. “This could be achieved by reducing the disincentive to work through reforms of the tax and welfare systems, removing onerous and costly federal regulations that prohibit job creation and innovation in human capital markets, and reducing the burden of government that we pass to each generation through continued deficit financing of consumption.”

Students are evacuated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during a mass shooting in Parkland, Florida (Photo: Voice of America)

When it comes to horrific school attacks and shootings, “See something, say something, do something” is apparently a policy that really does save innocent lives.

Police, schools and parents are stopping school attacks across America by taking the threats seriously, reporting them and quickly arresting the students before there’s ever a massacre.

(See the rapidly growing list of recently thwarted school attacks at the end of this article.)

In the case of Nikolas Cruz, the shooter who opened fire on students at a Florida high school on Valentine’s Day and killed 17 people, reports about his disturbing behavior apparently came flooding in to authorities. Cruz’s friends saw something. They said something. But authorities apparently didn’t do anything.

Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz

Ariana Lopez, a former friend of Cruz, said she told school authorities “multiple” times in 2016 and 2017 about Cruz’s “disturbing” behavior.

“He used to sell knives out of his lunchbox, which I thought was like insane because you can’t have knives … [in] a school,” she told ABC’s “Good Morning America” Tuesday. “He would talk about how he sympathized with Syrian terrorists and how people who opposed them should be killed.”

Lopez also said Cruz would behave violently toward his ex-girlfriend, toward her and toward her friends.

“He talked about killing our parents, our friends, boyfriends and girlfriends,” she said. “He would hit [his ex-girlfriend]. He would threaten her. He would threaten her family and her friends, for talking to other guys.”

Lopez said she and her classmates weren’t surprised to learn the shooter was Cruz: “Even before they announced that he was the shooter, we all knew it was Nik. He was the only person that we could think of that would do something like this because it was obvious that he had the power to do this.”

Cruz was also reported to the FBI and police, according to reports. The FBI failed to act on a tip that Cruz sought to “kill people” and there was “potential of him conducting a school shooting.” The FBI received a phone call on Jan. 5 from a person who was seeking to report Cruz’s disturbing behavior and social media posts. The FBI admitted it didn’t follow protocols and assess the situation as a threat. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has called for an “immediate review” of the case.

“It is now clear that the warning signs were there and tips to the FBI were missed,” Sessions said Friday. “We see the tragic consequences of those failures.”

Cruz also had dozens of run-ins with police dating back to 2010. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told Fox News there were “20 calls for services in the last few years.” Cruz was never arrested. He had reportedly thrown things, fought with his mother, acted out in violence, talked about hurting himself and said he would buy a gun. In 2017, Cruz was expelled from school for “disciplinary problems.” One report indicated that bullets were found in his backpack.

A YouTube user in Mississippi, Ben Bennight, said he called the FBI last September to report that a person called “nikolas cruz” had written, “I’m going to be a professional school shooter” in the comments section under a video. FBI agents visited Bennight following the tip, but nothing came of the report.

But because he had no criminal record that prevented him from doing so, Cruz was able to legally purchase the AR-15 rifle he used to murder 17 people on Feb. 14.

In just the last several days and weeks, authorities have become hyper-vigilant in responding to threats of school shootings. Now police are cracking down, arresting students who threaten the lives of other students, teachers and administrators.

Not every case involved firearms. Some students possessed knives. Others included a crossbow and machetes.

WND has compiled the following list of recent school attacks that were stopped before they ever happened – thanks to quick actions of police, school officials, concerned parents and students who are boldly speaking up and taking action to prevent the loss of another innocent life.

Alabama

Foley Middle School in Foley: Police arrested a 14-year-old male student who reportedly threatened to “shoot up the school” on Feb. 20.

An individual who knew of the threat informed a school resource officer. The teen was immediately arrested and is being charged with making a terroristic threat.

Police say they haven’t found evidence that he intended to follow through with a shooting.

“A lot of what we’re hearing is ‘Oh it was a joke.’ No, it’s not a joke. If you do this, we take it seriously and respond accordingly,” said Thurston Bullock from the Foley Police Department, Fox 10 reported. “We don’t want to see kids mess up their lives because they are joking around. And it’s not a joke when we have something as serious as Florida and things like this happening across the nation. It’s a serious matter, and we’re going to treat it accordingly.”

Arkansas

Fayetteville High School in Fayetteville: A student was arrested Feb. 16 after the individual made a Snapchat post threatening to “shoot up the high school like they did in Florida.” The student, who claimed the post was a joke, was arrested due to the serious nature of the threat. The individual is being held at the Washington County Juvenile Detention Center.

Fayetteville Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Wendt said in a statement: “When we are made aware of any type of threat, we work together with the police to act swiftly and decisively. We look forward to a regular day of school today.”

As soon as school administrators learned who the boy was, they called police.

Detectives searched the boy’s home and found a handgun and four rifles.

“There couldn’t be a more appropriate time to remind people that, if you see something suspicious or that seems off, say something. It is so important,” said Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, according to the Visalia Times-Delta. “You can do it anonymously. Our deputies can’t look into a situation if they know nothing about it.”

Several of Freeman’s Facebook friends warned him to stop making the posts. They told him police were monitoring social media. But Freeman was defiant.

“They’re not stopping s–t,” he wrote.

Asante Freeman, 18

His friends told him his statements weren’t funny.

But Freeman continued anyway: “People get killed every day all kinds of ways. If they don’t get shot at school could have been on the streets it’s life can’t get sad of everything that’s f—ed up in this world.”

Roman has been charged with first-degree breach of peace, first-degree threatening, brandishing a facsimile firearm and interference. School was expected to be back in session Wednesday.

Florida

Mainland High School in Daytona Beach: Officers with the Daytona beach Police Department arrested a 20-year-old man on Feb. 15 who had threatened his classmates with violence and made “other disturbing general comments.”

Palm Beach Lakes High School in West Palm Beach: A student brought two guns to his high-school campus on Feb. 15 and was quickly arrested after police received an anonymous tip. When authorities approached the student, the person fled. The school was put on lockdown. Principal David Alfonso told parents: “The police recovered two guns in the same vicinity that the student fled. The student was arrested by our campus police officers and now faces expulsion as defined in our student code of conduct.”

Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples:On Feb. 19, police arrested 18-year-old student Benjamin Mendoza after they received a tip that he had brought a gas mask and a knife to school on Feb. 15 and had made “disturbing comments about the Las Vegas mass shooting.” Authorities found he had a knife in his possession. They also discovered a note that said “shoot up school” and “school shoot animae dead” along with a list of students’ names. The student’s list also included a drawing of another student riddled with bullet holes. The words “Dead haha dead” were scribbled on the back of the paper. Police also found a map of the campus in his possession.

Benjamin Mendoza, 18, reported brought a knife to Palmetto Ridge High School along with a list of student names

Mendoza has been charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds and disruption of a school function.

Middleton High School in Tampa: A suspended 15-year-old student threatened his school when he was told to leave. Police arrested the student on Feb. 19 after he stated: “I’m going to come back tomorrow and shoot this b–ch up. I don’t give a f–k. I’m going to f—k this school up.” The student was charged with making a false report concerning the use of a firearm in a violent manner.

Robinson High School in Tampa: Police arrested a student who threatened a teacher and promised to “shoot up the school.” Police say the student said, “If you do not change my grade, I will shoot up the school.” The student was charged with making a false report concerning the use of a firearm in a violent manner.

Wakulla High School in Crawfordville: Police arrested Kane Watson, 18, who surrendered his AR-15 style rifle to authorities and has been booked into Wakulla County jail.

The teen has been charged with written threats to kill or do bodily injury and false report concerning planting a bomb, an explosive or a weapon of mass destruction or concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

“The video showed a person’s hands opening a case containing the rifle, which was later identified as a Spike’s SL 15 Tactical Rifle,” the Democrat reported. “The video shows the rifle being removed from the case and loaded with a magazine. The rifle is then picked up by the subject and displayed a caption underneath that read, ‘Do not go to school.'”

Kane Watson, 18

Deputies and detectives reportedly arrived at Watson’s home just 45 minutes after they received a complaint about his disturbing post.

Watson claimed his post was just a joke.

“He said it was an attempt at releasing stress through humor,” said Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Chris Savary. “We can only take him at his word, but we would treat any threat like this as credible.”

Georgia

Plano West Senior High School in Plano: Police arrested a 16-year-old student on Feb. 15 after they received an anonymous Campus Crime Stoppers tip and learned that the student had brought a handgun to campus.

Indiana

Michigan City High School in Michigan City: Police arrested a 16-year-old student on a felony intimidation charge after he wrote in a social media post that a shooting would happen at the school on Feb. 13. His post also included a photo of a gun.

When parents heard about the threat, they began arriving at the high school to pick up their children.

Maryland

Clarksburg High School in Clarksburg: Police arrested Alwin Chen, 18, who took a loaded handgun and knife to school on Feb. 15. The gun was in his backpack, and the knife was in his pocket.

At his home, Chen also had an AR-15 rifle, a tactical vest, inert grenades, handguns and a detonator.

Alwin Chen, left, and the handgun police say was in his possession at Clarksburg High School

“Multiple people, including the crisis intervention team and the court diagnostic team that screened him before before the bond review, were all making recommendations that there be a psychiatric evaluation for dangerousness. They did in fact order that evaluation and there is no court date yet set in this matter,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said Tuesday, Fox-5 DC reported.

According to prosecutors, Chen also had a list of grievances against other students in his possession when he was taken into custody. He told police he brought the gun to school to protect himself from bullies. Apparently, it wasn’t the first time Chen had brought a gun to school.

The teen is accused of making a verbal threat to shoot up the Brethren High School. Several students heard the threat and reported it to the principal. When police confronted the teen, he claimed he was “just joking.” Authorities confiscated an AR-15 rifle, which belongs to his parents, and a cell phone from the teen’s home. The teen is now in Manistee County Jail.

Students who heard the threats alerted the school. The school notified the school resource officer. Police do not believe there’s a threat to students.

The boy was suspended and charged with “making a false report concerning mass violence on educational property.”

Ohio

Wait High School in Toledo: Police arrested 20-year-old Christian Costet on Feb. 19 for threatening a “mass shooting” at the high school.

Costet is accused of posting photos and video on social media, along with threats to carry out the attack.

A concerned parent reported the video and messages to police.

“The Toledo Police Department will not tolerate any threats to the safety of our citizens,” said Chief George Kral, according to WTVG-TV 13. “There is no such thing as ‘this was just a joke.’ With mass shooting incidents increasing exponentially in our country, we will investigate and prosecute every threat to the full extent of the law.”

Costet was booked at the Lucas County Jail. He is facing charges of inducing panic, a felony of the second degree.

The students has been hospitalized. It’s unclear whether the shooting was intentional. The FBI and Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded to the scene. Parents rushed to the school, hoping to find their children and take them home.

Parents called the school and police to report the threat. Parents and teachers helped authorities identify the students. Willoughby police and FBI agents took the students into custody.

“As always, the safety of students is our foremost concern,” said Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools Superintendent Steve Thompson. “We have many procedures and policies in place to maintain a safe environment for all students.”

Pennsylvania

Uniontown Area High School in Uniontown: On Jan. 25, police arrested a 14-year-old student who was threatening to carry out a shooting at his high school the following day. Another student overheard the threats while they were riding a bus and told his parents when he went home. The parents called law-enforcement authorities.

Police found a stash of weapons in the teen’s bedroom – one semi-automatic rifle, one shotgun, two lever-action rifles, one revolver, one crossbow, bulk ammunition, throwing knives and two machetes – and learned the suspect planned to target four students.

“The individual also expressed dislike for these four students and his uncle. He indicated it would be extremely easy to sneak a gun into the school in his backpack. He also indicated that he could use a sniper rifle from a distance or a shotgun for mass casualties,” Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower said. “He didn’t like them; he just didn’t like them.”

The teen was charged with terroristic threats, possession of a firearm by a minor and criminal attempt to commit catastrophe.

“He’s a hero because, if he had not said something or if he just blew it off, who knows what we would have been talking about right now?” parent Roberta Cole asked.

Parent Michael Schock told the station: “The young man is a hero. It takes a lot to stand up and speak.”

The district attorney echoed those sentiments: “Quite frankly, the parent and the child who reported this are actually the heroes here. Had they not reported this, there could have been a major catastrophe today at Uniontown High School.”

Shade-Central City High School in Cairnbrook: On Feb. 20, Police arrested Jacob Deneen, 18, after he was accused of plotting a mass shooting at his school. Police said he was one of three students who were planning to execute a mass shooting at their graduation this spring. Deneen is faces several charges, including causing or risking a catastrophe and making terroristic threats.

Jacob Deneen, 18, is accused of plotting a mass shooting at Shade-Central City High School during the spring graduation (Photo: WJAC-TV 6)

South Carolina

Broome High School in Spartanburg: Police arrested a ninth-grade student on Feb. 15 after he promised “round 2 of Florida tomorrow” in a Snapchat post to students and staff at the high school. The student reportedly included an image of himself posing with a rifle. He’s been charged with disturbing schools and the district is attempting to ban him from school grounds.

Texas

Edward S. Marcus High in Flower Mound: Police officers arrested a 16-year-old student who hasn’t been named. Other students at the high school reported that the teen had a gun on campus. Police discovered a small-caliber handgun and ammunition in the teen’s possession after they pulled the student out of class. The school principal told parents that authorities don’t believe the student had planned to hurt anyone with the gun.

Plano West Senior High School in Plano: Police received a tip that a student brought a gun to campus. A school resource officer arrested the student and discovered a handgun. Plano police spokesman David Tilley underscored the importance of the Campus Crime Stopper program there. Tilley said, “The students can make these reports and potentially … save a major incident from taking place.”

Plano Independent School District sent a letter to parents, urging them to pay close attention to their kids’ groups of friends and their free-time activities. The letter also asked the parents to be sure their kids are not improperly accessing weapons.

“We share information such as this with families and use this as an opportunity to stress the importance of our students sharing information about anything they see or hear that has the potential to threaten the safety of our campuses, as was done in this case,” the letter stated.

South Garland High School in Garland: A 19-year-old student, Kerry Guery, who had two theft warrants was discovered to have an unloaded handgun in his backpack, along with marijuana. Police discovered the firearm after a school resource officer and the high-school principal confronted Guery. The gun’s serial number had been scratched off.

Police are uncertain about whether the teen planned to harm students with the gun. Garland police Lt. Pedri Barineau said, “Obviously, we’re very cautious in regards to any type of behavior that could lead us to believe some sort of violence could occur.”

19-year-old student Kerry Guery in South Garland brought an unloaded gun to school

Nicols Jr. High School in Arlington: A junior-high school student was arrested Feb. 15 after the 13 year old threatened to shoot up his school. The teen reportedly told other students he had a gun. Dallas’ KDFW-13 News reported, “[Students] also said he made a specific threat about bringing an AK-47 to school to go after people.”

When police confronted the student, he didn’t have a gun with him and claimed he was only joking. But he was arrested and charged with making a terroristic threat.

Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson tweeted images of threats scribbled on bathroom walls and made in social-media posts.

A social media post wit several angry emojis stated, “I’m gonna shoot up the school.”

The bathroom wall threats stated, “I’m shoot this b–ch up like Florida 12:15” and “You have 3 hours left till I shoot d—–.”

Chief Johnson tweeted, “These threats must stop!”

Weatherford High School in Weatherford: Police took a 16-year-old student into custody Feb. 15 after the student made “vague” threats online that concerned other students. The unnamed student was transferred to a juvenile detention facility and charged with making a terroristic threat. Police did not find a firearm on the student.

Weatherford Deputy Chief Chris Crawford said: “With the national threat that’s out there today … it scares parents, and they have every right to be scared, and it scares students. It’s a legitimate feeling of uneasiness when you have a fellow students that’s posting something or writing something that others deem as threatening. No students or staff should have to live in fear.”

Harmony Public School in Katy: Police arrested a 15-year-old student who was reportedly upset over the arrest of his friend for making threats. The teen posted a message on Snapchat that said: “You think you’ve seen a threat? I’ll show you a threat.” The teen’s post was followed by a video of him shooting an AR-15 rifle and two pistols at a gun range.

The teen’s friends reported the post to school administrators, and the suspect was arrested.

“This is not a game or a way to get attention,” Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said in a Facebook post. “I once against urge parents to have a conversation with their children regarding the seriousness of threatening posts.” The student is currently at the county’s juvenile detention facility.

That case came just a week after two other students were arrested for making threats on Snapchat against two area schools.

A 14-year-old student at Baines Middle School claimed he had plans to shoot up his school.

In another case, at Harmony Public School, a 15-year-old student posted a photo on Snapchat that showed students at the Florida school shooting running from the scene. The post indicated that the same thing would happen to seventh-graders and included a link with instruction on how to bring guns to schools undetected.

In both of those cases, students told their parents about the posts. The parents called school officials, who called police.

Sawyer had intended to kill multiple students and the school resource officer with a 12-gauge shotgun.

A teen girl had alerted an adult about Sawyer’s apparent plans to enter the school and cause mass carnage. She said his behavior “seemed strange” and that he had made previous threats against the high school.

Sawyer had been planning the attack for two years, and he outlined a detailed plan in his journal, which he titled “Diary of an Active Shooter.” After he heard of the Feb. 14 Florida shooting massacre, Sawyer told his friend the killing spree was “fantastic” and that he supported it “100%.”

Jack Sawyer, 18, is accused of plotting a mass shooting at a Fair Haven, Vermont, high school

“Only by the grace of God and the courage of the young woman who spoke up did we avert a horrific outcome,” said Vermont Gov. Phil Scott.

Sawyer had been treated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and depression, according to his father. In his messages to the girl, he claimed he had stopped taking his medication.

Sawyer is being held at Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland. He pleaded not guilty in court Feb. 16.

Washington

Aces Alternative High School in Everett:As WND reported, one courageous grandmother in Washington, who saw alarming signs that her grandson was about to conduct his own high-school killing spree, acted quickly and likely saved many innocent lives. In Everett, Washington, police arrested Joshua Alexander O’Connor, 18, on Feb. 13 after he made “upcoming and credible threats” to murder students with a rifle and homemade explosive devices.

“I’m preparing myself for the school shooting,” O’Connor reportedly wrote in one entry. “I can’t wait. My aim has gotten much more accurate. … I can’t wait to walk into that class and blow all those f—ers away.”

He also expressed his desire to kill as many people as possible so his massacre would capture the public’s attention.

O’Connor wrote: “I’ve been thinking a lot. I need to make this shooting bombing at Kamiak famous. I need to get the biggest fatality number I possibly can. I need to make this count. I’ve been reviewing many mass shootings/bombings (and attempted bombings). I’m learning from past shooters’/bombers’ mistakes, so I don’t make the same ones.”

After reading the journal, the grandmother discovered a rifle stashed in the teen’s guitar case. She then alerted authorities to her grandson’s apparent plans.

“That would have probably been one of the hardest calls she has probably ever made,” Everett Police Officer Aaron Snell told Seattle’s KCPQ-13 News, “but I think the content of the journal and some of the other evidence in the house was enough that she was alarmed enough.”

When detectives searcher the grandmother’s home, they also found “military styled inert grenades and other evidentiary items.” O’Connor had detailed his plans to make pressure-cooker bombs, activate inert grenades and use explosives to cause as much carnage as possible.

In the journal, O’Connor also wrote about an armed robbery of a local convenience store Monday evening. The teen admitted to police that he had participated in the robbery, and he claimed it made him feel powerful, according to KCPQ-13 News. He reportedly used the same rifle found in the guitar case during the robbery. Another suspect was reportedly involved in the robbery, and the two got away with $100.

O’Connor had planned to use the money acquired during the store robbery to fund his school massacre.

When police went to arrest O’Connor, the teen began running from authorities after slipping his hand out of the cuffs. O’Connor assaulted an officer, kicking him as he tried to flee.

On Wednesday, school officials praised O’Connor’s grandmother for acting quickly to prevent the likely tragedy.

“The best defense against this kind of thing – the school shooting – is that if you hear something or see something, tell authorities. And that’s exactly what she did,” school district spokesman Andy Muntz told KCPQ-13 News.

O’Connor appeared in court Wednesday, and his attorney argued that he was only venting his frustrations in his journal.

“There is no ammunition. There is nothing else to suggest other than his statement in his journal,” the attorney said.

The judge set O’Connor’s bail at $5 million after the prosecutor argued that the teen is a threat to the community.

Wisconsin

Hartford Union High school in Hartford: Police arrested a 14-year-old student on Feb. 20 after another teen reported overhearing a conversation between two students in the hallway.

In the wake of the bloody school shooting in South Florida Wednesday, many Americans are desperately asking: What can we do to prevent these tragedies from happening?

Meanwhile, one courageous grandmother in Washington, who saw alarming signs this week that her grandson was about to conduct his own high-school killing spree, acted quickly and likely saved many innocent lives.

Just 24 hours before the Valentine’s Day shooting rampage that left 17 adults and high-school students dead in Florida, another potentially horrific mass shooting was thwarted by the concerned grandmother.

In Everett, Washington, police arrested Joshua Alexander O’Connor, 18, Tuesday after he made “upcoming and credible threats” to murder students at Aces Alternative High School with a rifle and homemade explosive devices.

“I’m preparing myself for the school shooting,” O’Connor reportedly wrote in one entry. “I can’t wait. My aim has gotten much more accurate. … I can’t wait to walk into that class and blow all those f—ers away.”

He also expressed his desire to kill as many people as possible so his massacre would capture the public’s attention.

O’Connor wrote: “I’ve been thinking a lot. I need to make this shooting bombing at Kamiak famous. I need to get the biggest fatality number I possibly can. I need to make this count. I’ve been reviewing many mass shootings/bombings (and attempted bombings). I’m learning from past shooters’/bombers’ mistakes, so I don’t make the same ones.”

After reading the journal, the grandmother discovered a rifle stashed in the teen’s guitar case. She then alerted authorities to her grandson’s apparent plans.

“That would have probably been one of the hardest calls she has probably ever made,” Everett Police Officer Aaron Snell told Seattle’s KCPQ-13 News, “but I think the content of the journal and some of the other evidence in the house was enough that she was alarmed enough.”

When detectives searcher the grandmother’s home, they also found “military styled inert grenades and other evidentiary items.” O’Connor had detailed his plans to make pressure-cooker bombs, activate inert grenades and use explosives to cause as much carnage as possible.

In the journal, O’Connor also wrote about an armed robbery of a local convenience store Monday evening. The teen admitted to police that he had participated in the robbery, and he claimed it made him feel powerful, according to KCPQ-13 News. He reportedly used the same rifle found in the guitar case during the robbery. Another suspect was reportedly involved in the robbery, and the two got away with $100.

O’Connor had planned to use the money acquired during the store robbery to fund his school massacre.

When police went to arrest O’Connor, the teen began running from authorities after slipping his hand out of the cuffs. O’Connor assaulted an officer, kicking him as he tried to flee.

On Wednesday, school officials praised O’Connor’s grandmother for acting quickly to prevent the likely tragedy.

“The best defense against this kind of thing – the school shooting – is that if you hear something or see something, tell authorities. And that’s exactly what she did,” school district spokesman Andy Muntz told KCPQ-13 News.

O’Connor appeared in court Wednesday, and his attorney argued that he was only venting his frustrations in his journal.

“There is no ammunition. There is nothing else to suggest other than his statement in his journal,” the attorney said.

The judge set O’Connor’s bail at $5 million after the prosecutor argued that the teen is a threat to the community.

“The markets showed the same lack of class and power and honesty and truth that we have seen in every kind of these flash crashes,” Cramer said during CNBC’s “Closing Bell.”

Since the new year, the market has quickly soared, and then it sank even faster.

“The market got phony again,” Cramer said. “It’s a shame. It can’t handle the volume, and it can’t handle this level of selling.”

But investors should remember that these moments often present great opportunities to buy.

“And the market just broke again,” he said. “We haven’t seen it break in a long time.”

Cramer said the market sometimes breaks when the volume of trading is simply too high.

“It’s OK,” he said. “It happens periodically and it freaks people out at home. We can spin any tale we want, but what I am saying is that the market doesn’t work at certain points.”

Still, nobody should feel like it’s time to “freak out,” he said.

“I see idiots coming in and selling and I see it’s too fast to buy,” Cramer said. “Just remember the flash crash a few years ago, another flash crash a few years ago. When the market can’t handle this kind of trading, you get this. But don’t freak out. Look for something you like to buy.”

“Take a deep breath,” Garcia-Amaya said. “I know it’s been a while since we had a day like today, but nothing has really changed from a fundamental standpoint.”

Bloomberg cited rising concern that interest rates will be forced higher by inflation. Last week, the Federal Reserve said inflation appears to be on the uptick.

CNBC said some computer-programmed trading had “sent Wall Street into a bizarre tizzy.”

Still, the Dow isn’t any worse off than it was in December.

“Panic is already starting to set in, which is kind of incredible when you actually think about it,” Michael Yoshikami, CEO of Destination Wealth Management, told CNBC. “The S&P is trading where it was in sometime in December. So it’s not like we’re retracing an entire 12 months of returns here. I think investors are just understandably nervous. It probably is programmed trading kicking in at this point.”

The Dow spiked about 40 percent after President Trump’s election, and it’s still up by 20 percent.

A monthly jobs report released Friday showed the U.S. economy added 200,000 jobs in January and wages are on the rise.